4 Big Short Sales Hang-ups

4 Big Short Sales Hang-ups

Daily Real Estate News |
Thursday, February 21, 2013

Short sales are increasing this year, and these transactions can take up to three times longer than a traditional transaction. A lot can go wrong in that timeframe. These are the most common delays, according to a recent article by George “Gee” Dunsten, a real estate broker and president of Gee Dunsten Seminars, at RISMedia.

Title issues: Be sure to do a title exam at the beginning in order to identify all individuals on the deed and mortgages, and determine all lien holders.

Lack of communication with the lender: Lost documents and misunderstandings commonly cause delays. Make it a habit to follow up with the mortgage servicer twice a week to avoid unnecessary delays.

Delaying the start: Some short sales have not even begun until a contract to purchase has been initiated. But this could add up to two extra months to the process. The lender won’t even look at a buyer contract until a seller candidate for a short sale is approved and the market value has been determined, Dunsten writes.

Incomplete packages: Make sure you carefully submit all the documents completely and accurately. Submitting incomplete packages is another common culprit of delays. All home owner financial information will need to be kept current and forwarded to the servicer every 30 days, Dunsten writes.